The present invention relates to trigger lock mechanisms for spray guns.
In the use of hand held spray guns and the like, the guns are occasionally accidentally discharged as by being dropped on a trigger thereof or perhaps through the direct but unintentional action of a careless operator. This can result in nearby articles being ruined by a spray discharged therefrom or, much worse, injury to the operator himself, as by having the spray enter his eyes.
With air type paint spray guns, paint discharged from a nozzle is introduced into a stream of compressed air, typically at 50-90 p.s.i., for being atomized and shaped into a fan-like spray. With such guns, the primary hazard presented to a careless operator is accidental direction of the spray into his eyes.
With so-called airless paint spray guns, paint is supplied to the gun under extremely high pressure, typically 2000-3000 p.s.i., which is sufficient to atomize the paint upon discharge from a specially designed nozzle orifice. Upon operation of the gun, this high pressure is presented at and for a short distance in front of the orifice to a point whereat the paint is atomized and loses its force. Not only might accidental discharge of this type gun direct a spray of paint into the eyes of the operator, but with such high pressure available paint can be injected directly into skin positioned at and in close proximity with the orifice. It is therefore desirable, both with air and airless type spray guns, to provide a mechanism which prevents nondeliberate or accidental operation of the guns.